Daily
Thoughts:
Throughout the scriptures Jesus often uses the image of master and servant to
make a point and describe our relationship with God. In most cases God is the
master and we are the servants and the relationship is as any master and
servant relationship would be in Jesus’ world.
However
in today’s Gospel (Luke 12: 35-38) the relationship between master and servant
between God and us is turned upside down. God does the waiting on us today and
this profound reversal of roles is the very spirit of the Gospel message. It is
the very spirit of what Pope Francis has challenged his cardinals, bishops and
priest to be as ministers, the very essence of what he has challenged us to be
as Christians.
If
we look at our relationship with God we come to know that God not only loves us
and cares for us but in the person of Jesus God has taken on our human nature
in order to redeem us. Many of those who listened to Jesus’ preaching probably
found his image of God as one who serves difficult if not impossible to accept.
Masters of that time or anytime for that matter just are not seen or
experienced as people who are willing to serve. Yet, for Jesus that is exactly
what God has done in sending his own Son into the world.
To
continue this gift we are asked to be servers of God’s grace to the world. A
question for today might be how do we make God present known through service to
others?
Have
a great Tuesday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
Lord
Jesus, for how many ages have You remained imprisoned upon Your cross and still
we pass You by, ignoring You? How often have we overlooked Your tender presence
in our life, paying little attention to Your great sorrow, Your pain, Your
powerful Love? How often have we, by our ignorance added to Your sorrow,
deepened Your pain and refused Your Love?
You
constantly stretch forth Your hands to
re-create us, to touch us with Your love, and still we close our eyes to Your
presence and force you to remain imprisoned upon Your cross!
Our
names are written in Your heart forever and You will not allow us to run from
Your love.
Jesus,
you have loved us with an everlasting love reflected in the power and
compassion of Your cross. Let the love
that flows from Your cross surround us, break down the walls of our fear,
enliven our faith and fill our hearts with hope.
Lord
Jesus Christ crucified, teach us how to love as You have loved, even to the
cross. May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts. Amen!
(Adapted
from a Passionist Prayer)
A
Runner’s Thoughts: We need to always remember that there are different
forms of prayer, of communication with God and that they are possible in
everything we do, even when we run. So as I have often said, let us allow our
runs to be a prayer – a prayer of thanksgiving, a prayer of petition or
intercession, a prayer of praise, a prayer of struggle, or a prayer seeking
help or perhaps just a prayer that says hello God how are you today?
Daily
Blessing:
Tuesday greetings and blessings to everyone and Happy Feast of St. Paul of the
Cross! It is just a great day to be a Passionist! My prayers are for all of you
today as I celebrate the feast of our founder, in thanksgiving for all of your
support over the years. I ask that you continue to pray for us so that we can
keep his vision, his dream alive!
I
want to send a special blessing out to Alexis, whose birthday is today. Alexis
is one of my two goddaughters and I am very proud of the woman she has become
though I had nothing to do with it. I just want to send a special birthday
blessing to Alexis! She is probably in the midst of teaching today but may she
have a great day and may God continue to bless her and her family!
My
prayer of blessing for all you today on this feast of St. Paul of the Cross is
that God will bless all of you today through the intersession of St. Paul of
the Cross. May God bless you and protect you today and always. May God’s face
smile upon you. May God’s grace enter into all you do. May you live today rich
in a harvest of faith, hope and love which God has planted within you and may
you always know that nothing can separate you from the love of God! Blessings
to all and have a great day everyone. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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